The owner’s tour | A prestigious residence in the heart of Saint-Bruno

Owners open the doors of their exceptional property to us, offered on the resale market.

Nicole Beaudoin felt, one day, a very strong connection with a vast heritage home in Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville without knowing that she would live there for nearly 30 years.

“I was walking with a friend in the street, right in front. I stopped in front of the house and said I wish I could live there,” she said. “It was not for sale at the time. But I bought it a few years later. »

However, this English cottage did not look like much at the time. Built in 1933 in the middle of agricultural land, probably for an English-speaking doctor, it was showing its age when M^me Beaudoin took possession in 1995. “My mother was discouraged when she first came,” she laughs.

It’s difficult to imagine a residence in need of love given the magnificence of the place today. For a bit we would imagine ourselves in the house from the film Mom, I missed the plane. Or in the mansion in the game Clue where all the rooms communicate with each other through two or three different doors.

“I like creating decorations,” admits the businesswoman, also the granddaughter of Joseph-Armand Bombardier. “And I can see how to maximize the potential of a house.” »

The Saint-Bruno residence has undergone numerous renovations and improvements over the years.

It changed with the birth of three children, then the arrival of four grandchildren. For example, the old kitchen became an entrance hall, a veranda was converted into a bright office-workshop and a former bedroom was transformed into a huge wardrobe room.

Meeting place

It all started with the demolition of an old garage annexed to the house in order to build a modern kitchen and add bedrooms upstairs. To satisfy his culinary passion, M^me Beaudoin has equipped itself with professional quality appliances: large gas stove, large work surfaces, two dishwashers and even a real wood oven for cooking meat or pizzas!

A true gathering place, this Tuscan-inspired kitchen opens onto the dining room, the billiard room and a large rear terrace which transforms into a heated loggia in winter.

“I like to receive,” explains the philanthropist. “One year, I wanted to be able to welcome everyone on the terrace at Christmas. We therefore installed a removable glass wall, like at the Leméac restaurant in Montreal. »

In summer, this terrace provides access to the backyard, where the in-ground swimming pool and an outdoor kitchen with barbecue sit further down, designed to feed an army of guests.

From there, through a secondary entrance at garden level, they can access a full bar with a dance floor and professional DJ system, set up in the basement. A wine cellar and a home theater room, complete with video game consoles, are just a few steps away.

“This basement was the place for children’s parties. I preferred that they receive their friends here rather than go and celebrate elsewhere,” confides the mother, her head full of beautiful memories.

“I was 30 when I bought this house. This is where I raised my family. Children could walk to school from the start of primary school until the end of secondary school. Mont-Saint-Bruno Park is only a 10-minute walk away. We went cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, hiking… This house is in the center of a wonderful place,” she says.

Imperfect and authentic

For the sake of preserving the authenticity of the house, Nicole Beaudoin has made it a point not to erase its imperfections. “That’s how she keeps her soul,” she believes.

Thus, on both floors, the beautiful original hardwood floors were stripped of their carpets to be sanded and oiled. There is no question of reinforcing or replacing them, even if they show their age with their almost melodious creaks. The same goes for the staircase that leads to the bedrooms.

The terra cotta tiles in the kitchen, meanwhile, were made unique by small animals who left their footprints there. “They walked on the tiles while they were drying in the sun. When I had the kitchen renovated, some workers asked me if I wanted them to remove them. Of course not! “, she says.

With the children now gone, Nicole Beaudoin is preparing to move to a smaller house. The renovations are in full swing. “I guess I like it,” she concludes with a smile.

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